Factoid #4: Pesach
Apr. 12th, 2006 01:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
phynckeWell if I spelled my name right on here, you would know I am Jewish and tonight is the first night of Pesach or Passover. In keeping with my habit of providing factoids to my friends list, here is some information for you on this very important Jewish holiday. It is one of my favorites.
An Overview
Passover celebrates the Jewish people's freedom from Egyptian bondage that took place approximately 3,500 years ago, as told in the first 15 chapters of the biblical Book of Exodus. To remember the miraculous events that G-d performed for the Hebrews which led to their freedom, G-d commanded Moses and the Hebrews to slaughter and eat a roasted paschal lamb which symbolizes the Passover sacrifice, and eat it with bitter herbs and matzah. G-d also instructed the Hebrews to spread the blood of the paschal lamb on the two doorposts and on the beam above the door of the houses in which they will eat the paschal lamb ("doorposts and lintel"). This act was G-d's sign to pass over the Hebrews' homes during the 10th plague, which was the killing of the first born sons of the Egyptians as punishment for enslaving the Hebrews and disrespecting G-d by believing that their multiple G-ds had more powers than the one true G-d. G-d also instructed the Hebrews to eat matzah for the seven-day period of the Passover holiday and to clear their home of leavened items by the first day of Passover. G-d also stated that the first and seventh days of Passover were to be sacred holidays for the Hebrews which were to be spent in sustaining themselves with food. If this meant that one had to work on those days then that was permitted, but no other work was permitted for any other reason. Since the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. by the Romans, the slaughtering of a paschal lamb was replaced by the roasting of a hard-boiled egg and the shankbone which are two of the symbolic foods on the Passover seder plate. However, there are still certain groups that are offshoots of Judaism who still slaughter lambs for Passover as instructed in the Book of Exodus by G-d. For instance, the Samaritans who reside in Samaria - a region in an area today known as Nablus - go up Mount Gerizim which overlooks Nablus on the 10th day of the month of Nissan with tents and other equipment. Once at the summit of Mount Gerizim, a lamb is then given to the heads of each of the clans that represent the seven principal families of the Samaritans who only number about 500. Each of the clans then prepares for the sacrificial ceremony on the mountain on the 14th day of Nissan. The Samaritans literally follow all the instructions for Passover as prescribed by G-d in the Book of Exodus.
Since the time of Jewish freedom from Egyptian slavery, the celebration of Passover was organized into a feast called the Passover Seder. The Passover seder feast was patterned somewhat after the Greco-Roman feasts that rabbis observed during the time of the Romans' presence in Jerusalem in the 1st century B.C.E. and the first century C.E. The word 'Seder' means 'order' or 'procedure' in Hebrew and refers to the order of historical events recalled in the Passover meal as well as the meal itself. The story of Passover is read from a book or manual called the 'Haggadah', meaning 'narration' or 'telling' in Hebrew. The Passover Haggadah was loosely organized by rabbinic scholars during the period just before and after the time when the Common Era (C.E. or A.D. to Christians) began. In addition to containing the story of Passover, the Passover Haggadah contains prayers, blessings, songs, biblical passages, and scholarly commentaries by rabbinic sages. While the main story of Passover is read at Passover seders by Jews the world over, local customs - including musical and culinary traditions - have been added over time so that the Passover festival has been adapted to reflect the life and routines of Jewish communities in different countries. This explains why, for example, the festival of Passover is celebrated differently in Tunisia than in Canada. Moreover, the Passover Haggadah may be read either in the local language, or a mixture of the local language and Hebrew, or different combinations of the local language, Hebrew, and either Ladino (the language of Sephardic Jews originating in Spain) or Yiddish (the language of Ashkenazic Jews originating in Central and Eastern Europe). For further information and to see images of various Haggadot (plural form of 'Haggadah'), you can take a quick detour and steer over to our Passover Haggadah page.
Passover is celebrated for 8 days (7 days for most Reform Jews and some Conservative Jews), and always begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan (or Nissan). Since the Jewish day begins at sundown, Passover actually starts at sundown on the evening prior to the first full day of Passover in the Gregorian or Christian calendar.
Why is Passover celebrated for 8 days?
Glad I asked. Originally, Passover was celebrated for 7 days, with Day 1 being the day the Israelites left Egypt, to Day 7 when the Israelites came to the Yam Soof, which is the Hebrew phrase for the "Sea of Reeds" [which is possibly the "Red Sea", an arm of the "Red Sea", or another body of water in the Sinai Peninsula area (Gulf of Suez, or the large delta at the mouth of the Nile River in Northern Egypt)]. As a result, Passover is celebrated for 7 days in Israel. But since the Jewish calendar goes by the cycle of the moon (or lunar cycle), Jewish scholars in biblical times added the extra day to compensate for the different times the moon appeared in places outside of Israel. This meant that Passover would be celebrated for 8 days everywhere outside of Israel, but only for 7 days in Israel!
What is the significance of Passover?
Passover has three primary levels of significance: (1) Passover is an historical festival, commemorating the exodus from Egypt, notably the physical redemption of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt; (2) Passover is an agricultural festival, celebrating the Spring season and the new growth and harvest season, particularly the earliest barley and cereal harvest; (3) Passover is a religious festival, it celebrates the fact that G-d is the redeemer of the Hebrews from the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh who forced the Hebrews into slavery in ancient Egypt. As the redeemer of the Hebrews, the Hebrews became the servants of G-d alone; and (4) a fourth significance rooted in mystical Kabbalistic traditions contends that that act of fulfilling G-d's commandment to observe Passover contributes to the overall cosmic process of redemption in which G-d's 'Attribute of Mercy' "sweetens" the 'Attribute of Justice'. In relation to Passover, this mystical interpretation means that the Passover lamb, which represents an 'Attribute of Mercy' in Kabbalistic tradition, must be eaten together with bitter herbs and unleavened bread such as matzah, where the bitter herbs and matzah together represent an 'Attribute of Justice' in Kabbalistic
tradition.
All information from the website: http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/passover/
An Overview
Passover celebrates the Jewish people's freedom from Egyptian bondage that took place approximately 3,500 years ago, as told in the first 15 chapters of the biblical Book of Exodus. To remember the miraculous events that G-d performed for the Hebrews which led to their freedom, G-d commanded Moses and the Hebrews to slaughter and eat a roasted paschal lamb which symbolizes the Passover sacrifice, and eat it with bitter herbs and matzah. G-d also instructed the Hebrews to spread the blood of the paschal lamb on the two doorposts and on the beam above the door of the houses in which they will eat the paschal lamb ("doorposts and lintel"). This act was G-d's sign to pass over the Hebrews' homes during the 10th plague, which was the killing of the first born sons of the Egyptians as punishment for enslaving the Hebrews and disrespecting G-d by believing that their multiple G-ds had more powers than the one true G-d. G-d also instructed the Hebrews to eat matzah for the seven-day period of the Passover holiday and to clear their home of leavened items by the first day of Passover. G-d also stated that the first and seventh days of Passover were to be sacred holidays for the Hebrews which were to be spent in sustaining themselves with food. If this meant that one had to work on those days then that was permitted, but no other work was permitted for any other reason. Since the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E. by the Romans, the slaughtering of a paschal lamb was replaced by the roasting of a hard-boiled egg and the shankbone which are two of the symbolic foods on the Passover seder plate. However, there are still certain groups that are offshoots of Judaism who still slaughter lambs for Passover as instructed in the Book of Exodus by G-d. For instance, the Samaritans who reside in Samaria - a region in an area today known as Nablus - go up Mount Gerizim which overlooks Nablus on the 10th day of the month of Nissan with tents and other equipment. Once at the summit of Mount Gerizim, a lamb is then given to the heads of each of the clans that represent the seven principal families of the Samaritans who only number about 500. Each of the clans then prepares for the sacrificial ceremony on the mountain on the 14th day of Nissan. The Samaritans literally follow all the instructions for Passover as prescribed by G-d in the Book of Exodus.
Since the time of Jewish freedom from Egyptian slavery, the celebration of Passover was organized into a feast called the Passover Seder. The Passover seder feast was patterned somewhat after the Greco-Roman feasts that rabbis observed during the time of the Romans' presence in Jerusalem in the 1st century B.C.E. and the first century C.E. The word 'Seder' means 'order' or 'procedure' in Hebrew and refers to the order of historical events recalled in the Passover meal as well as the meal itself. The story of Passover is read from a book or manual called the 'Haggadah', meaning 'narration' or 'telling' in Hebrew. The Passover Haggadah was loosely organized by rabbinic scholars during the period just before and after the time when the Common Era (C.E. or A.D. to Christians) began. In addition to containing the story of Passover, the Passover Haggadah contains prayers, blessings, songs, biblical passages, and scholarly commentaries by rabbinic sages. While the main story of Passover is read at Passover seders by Jews the world over, local customs - including musical and culinary traditions - have been added over time so that the Passover festival has been adapted to reflect the life and routines of Jewish communities in different countries. This explains why, for example, the festival of Passover is celebrated differently in Tunisia than in Canada. Moreover, the Passover Haggadah may be read either in the local language, or a mixture of the local language and Hebrew, or different combinations of the local language, Hebrew, and either Ladino (the language of Sephardic Jews originating in Spain) or Yiddish (the language of Ashkenazic Jews originating in Central and Eastern Europe). For further information and to see images of various Haggadot (plural form of 'Haggadah'), you can take a quick detour and steer over to our Passover Haggadah page.
Passover is celebrated for 8 days (7 days for most Reform Jews and some Conservative Jews), and always begins on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan (or Nissan). Since the Jewish day begins at sundown, Passover actually starts at sundown on the evening prior to the first full day of Passover in the Gregorian or Christian calendar.
Why is Passover celebrated for 8 days?
Glad I asked. Originally, Passover was celebrated for 7 days, with Day 1 being the day the Israelites left Egypt, to Day 7 when the Israelites came to the Yam Soof, which is the Hebrew phrase for the "Sea of Reeds" [which is possibly the "Red Sea", an arm of the "Red Sea", or another body of water in the Sinai Peninsula area (Gulf of Suez, or the large delta at the mouth of the Nile River in Northern Egypt)]. As a result, Passover is celebrated for 7 days in Israel. But since the Jewish calendar goes by the cycle of the moon (or lunar cycle), Jewish scholars in biblical times added the extra day to compensate for the different times the moon appeared in places outside of Israel. This meant that Passover would be celebrated for 8 days everywhere outside of Israel, but only for 7 days in Israel!
What is the significance of Passover?
Passover has three primary levels of significance: (1) Passover is an historical festival, commemorating the exodus from Egypt, notably the physical redemption of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt; (2) Passover is an agricultural festival, celebrating the Spring season and the new growth and harvest season, particularly the earliest barley and cereal harvest; (3) Passover is a religious festival, it celebrates the fact that G-d is the redeemer of the Hebrews from the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh who forced the Hebrews into slavery in ancient Egypt. As the redeemer of the Hebrews, the Hebrews became the servants of G-d alone; and (4) a fourth significance rooted in mystical Kabbalistic traditions contends that that act of fulfilling G-d's commandment to observe Passover contributes to the overall cosmic process of redemption in which G-d's 'Attribute of Mercy' "sweetens" the 'Attribute of Justice'. In relation to Passover, this mystical interpretation means that the Passover lamb, which represents an 'Attribute of Mercy' in Kabbalistic tradition, must be eaten together with bitter herbs and unleavened bread such as matzah, where the bitter herbs and matzah together represent an 'Attribute of Justice' in Kabbalistic
tradition.
All information from the website: http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/passover/
